Lullabies for Fools
by Ethereal Pixie
Summary: [NaruSasu, AU.] Chapter 2: "Are you okay?" Naruto gasped, and ran towards him. He pulled Sasuke's hand from his lip and noticed the crimson colour that stained his fair lips. "You're bleeding!" Full story summary inside!
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary:** Naruto and Sasuke have always been the best of friends, regardless of all the rivalries and arguments, the two have always had each other's back. But, during their last year of high school, Sasuke begins to realize that he has feelings stronger than friendship for Naruto. Thing is, Sasuke is in pursuit of fame and wants to become an actor in order to fulfill his mother's previous dreams. When Sasuke takes on an audition and gains success and fame he has to leave Konoha City in order to reach his goals, leaving Naruto and everything else behind. Broken hearted, Naruto attempts to forget Sasuke by diving into his music. At the sign of success, Naruto is surprised by Sasuke and everything that follows once the two reunite but everything isn't as easy as just picking up where they left off.

**Lullabies for Fools**

Naruto stared longingly at the poster ad that he stood in front of at the bus stop. He could feel the anxiety creeping up into his heart, warming up to the ever expanding home built within it. He lightly outlined the face on the poster; a pale, raven haired boy with eyes as dark as his hair looked up longingly at a pink haired, fair skinned girl. Naruto gripped at his chest, and leaned his forehead against the glass of the poster. Fog built up against the glass where his breath touched, and he sighed, pulling away from the poster.

"I've moved on," he sighed, grabbing his guitar case. "I should be used to these posters by now."

He looked down at his watch. He was running late, he probably should have taken the offer from Gaara to ride in the van. Besides, this show was big. It was important. But, today was that same day that occurred three years ago. The day he confessed, and the day that _he_ had left. Right here, at this spot, it was just as cold, and, somehow, he could still feel that pang. No matter how hard he tried to get rid of it, he just couldn't. He was, after all, Naruto's best friend and...his...

Naruto shook his head, attempting to knock all of those memories out of his head. That cocky grin, the silkiness of his dark hair, the softness of his fair skin. He didn't want to think about those things anymore. Today would be the last day that he ever visited this spot. It would be the very last day that he would think of him. It was time...to move on.

"Naruto!"

Naruto quickly turned around at the voice, that familiar voice that he thought he would only hear coming from a screen or radio. Never right in front of him, not ever again.

His eyes widened, and he could feel his heart rampaging. It couldn't be...

"Sasu...ke..."

**Part One: **_Before Fame, the Last Year of High School_

**Chapter One: **Unknown To You

"Again!" Sasuke growled at Naruto, shaking his head in frustration. "You're playing too fast during the solo."

"No, I'm not!" Naruto protested, the aggravation welling up within him.

"You are."

"Ugh, I'm not," Naruto put down his guitar and walked over to the brown leather couch situated at the side of the rehearsal space. "I'm tired of playing the same fucking song over and over again. Let's move on, please!"

"If we just keep moving on from song to song, never perfecting the most menial of details we'll never have songs that we can be proud of. That's why we're playing the same song...again!" Sasuke walked up to Naruto, and sat on the arm of the couch. "Look, you're getting the melody wrong, and then you're playing the solo too fast. Just follow the rhythm that we're all playing to and you'll get it. Don't get overexcited, and don't over analyze, just play with us."

"Lover's spat," Gaara sighed, putting his drumsticks away. "However, I do agree with Naruto that we need a break. I have a lot of homework assignments that I need to complete."

"Right, of course," Sasuke sighed.

He looked over at Naruto to find him drifting off into sleep, a slight snore escaping his lips. Sasuke could feel his features soften as he watched Naruto sleep. There was always that bit of weakness he held for his best friend, even when he frustrated him so much. He was just too gung ho and excitable, which was why playing in a band with Naruto was so great in the first place.

Gaara walked up to Sasuke and placed a hand on his shoulder, making a face that this gesture should not be remembered, and spoke, "We'll be fine for the show this weekend."

"Yeah," Sasuke then got up, and began cleaning the rehearsal space since he knew that Naruto wouldn't do it himself.

"See you at school tomorrow," Gaara nodded, and left the basement.

Sasuke began collecting papers and disconnecting the equipment. He looked over at Naruto again who was shifting around on the couch.

"Goof," he sighed, as he went around turning off the amps.

"Sasu...ke..."

His ears perked at the sound of Naruto drowsily whispering his name. He could feel shudders throughout his body, and shook his head. Lately, strange feelings had been resonating within him when it came to Naruto. At first, he was fearful of these feelings but, over time, he had become accustomed to the warmth that he felt towards Naruto. It was the first time he had been able to care about someone else so much. And the feelings were most definitely not misplaced. At all. However, Sasuke had never had the will to voice these feelings. He wasn't sure that Naruto would reciprocate these emotions, and he wasn't quite ready to lose the only important person in his life.

Sasuke crept over to Naruto, watching him in his sleep. His blonde hair was unruly but made him look as innocent as an angel. His tight body rose and fell with each breath, and he imagined what the softness of his skin would feel against his. Sasuke shook his head, feeling heat rise to his cheeks with the thoughts that infected him, and quickly looked away.

"Sasuke," Naruto mumbled, raising one hand to grab onto Sasuke's light blue dress shirt. "Why are you watching me so intently?"

Sasuke pulled Naruto's hand from his shirt and threw it away, "Because you fell asleep during the middle of practice."

"I just took a quick snooze," he smirked, "Am I cute when I sleep?"

"Shut up," Sasuke groaned, throwing the papers in his hand at Naruto. "You're so full of shit sometimes."

Naruto sat up on the couch and fixed his hair and white shirt. He lifted one of the papers thrown at him and stared down at the lyrics. He smiled as he read the first line.

His lips opened, forming the first few lines into a soft, slow melody, "_What's this feeling? Surrounded by orbits. The floating feeling, of stars and space._"

Sasuke groaned, a deep red blush forming onto his face, as he grabbed the paper from Naruto's hand.

"No one said that you could read that!"

"You threw it at me," Naruto giggled. "Cute, and what girl are you writing about here? Could it possibly be...Sakura?"

Naruto winked. He pulled himself up from the couch and inched closer to Sasuke's face. Sasuke quickly looked away, crumpling up the paper and throwing it to the side. Sometimes, he really couldn't deal with this idiotic blonde oaf.

"You really are dense," Sasuke groaned. "I was just..."

Naruto walked over to the crumpled paper, and unfurled it. His eyes scanned the lines and he made approving grunts.

"But, really, Sasuke, this is a lot cuter than I'd expect someone like you to write," Naruto's grin widened, "I really like this."

Sasuke shook his head, his hands were balled up into tight fists and his arms were shaking. He really didn't want Naruto to read those lyrics since they were...about him. And the last thing he wanted was for anyone to think that he was, well, _cute_.

"Forget you saw those!" Sasuke groaned, he grabbed the paper from Naruto's grasp and quickly ripped up the lyrics. "The last thing I want is for people to think that I'm soft and cute."

"Only moody and brooding, right?" Naruto snickered, he patted Sasuke's chest gently before playfully blowing him a kiss. "That's okay. I like that I'm the only one who gets to see this side of you."

Naruto placed his hand on Sasuke's chest, his hand inching up closer to the back of his neck. Sasuke shuddered from the touch, feeling electric shocks against his skin. He couldn't believe that this was happening, or that his body was reacting so intensely to the simplest of touches.

"Now," Naruto whispered, pulling Sasuke closer to him, and placing his forehead against his. "I know that you're just mine."

Sasuke pushed Naruto away from him, his face turning beat red from Naruto's inappropriate behaviour. His breathing became heavy and ragged, as he tries his best not to stare directly at him. Even though Naruto could sometimes act like a flirt, he's never been this intrusive before.

"I'm really getting to you today!" Naruto laughed, holding his stomach from the pain of laughing so hard.

"Sometimes, I don't understand why you are my friend, Uzumaki," Sasuke growled.

"Oh, come on!" Naruto smirked cockily as he raises an eyebrow and points towards him. "It's because you're the only one who actually deals with me."

"True enough," Sasuke sighs, placing a finger against the temple of his forehead. "One day, I'm going to leave you behind."

"No you're not. You're stuck."

_You're right about that_, Sasuke sighs, as the words echo in his mind. He knew well that he was hooked. There was always something about Naruto that he couldn't quite escape from. At first, he used to hate it. He was almost envious of Naruto's ability to glide through life with such ease and optimism despite his loneliness and pain. Sasuke, on the other hand, relished in it and despite being popular because of his looks and talent, his inability to connect with others always caused a huge wall between him and people. Naruto, on the other hand, was able to empathize with others easily and make light of his self so he quickly became popular because of the affect that he could have on people's lives. No matter what, Uzumaki could always make someone's day.

That was what he loved about him. Well, he loved everything that made him Naruto. But Sasuke wasn't about to admit that out loud, let alone to himself.

"Come on," Sasuke sighed. "I have to go to bed. I have an audition for that new TV series that's coming out tomorrow."

"Jeeze," Naruto sighed. "I can't believe you're actually going to do that show."

"Hey," Sasuke waved a finger at him. "I know it's silly but...my mother was an actor and I want to."

"I know, I didn't mean it like that."

"Yeah," Sasuke looked away. "I know it seems trivial but...I want to."

"Oh well," Naruto grinned, patting Sasuke on the shoulder gently. "At least the character you're auditioning for isn't too far off from you; a sad, lonely emo kid."

"Hey!" Sasuke growled at him, grabbing him from behind and pressing him closely to his chest. Sasuke held him close, just for a second, before throwing him off of him in embarrassment.

"Aggressive today, aren't we?" Naruto's laughter filled the room, "I'll make us dinner."

"Let me guess," Sasuke groaned, as he followed Naruto up the stairs towards the kitchen. "Instant ramen."

"My specialty!"

It had been two years since Sasuke started living in Naruto's house. Everyone knew that Naruto lived in a large house, alone, while his uncle was off on book tours to promote his new novels. At first, everyone wasn't sure how to react around Naruto since he had lost his parents at such a young age. Naruto's mother died giving birth to him and then, his father, died shortly after being diagnosed with leukemia. The story was always quite sad, and as we were all children, no one really knew how to react around Naruto's situation. As we all grew older, however, everyone became attracted to Naruto's confidence and optimism. Regardless of what was happening in that boy's life Naruto was never lacking a smile or a kind word.

Throughout the years, he had always been one of the most supporting people Sasuke had ever met. His kindness and determination never faltered and Sasuke really admired that quality within Naruto. He remembered the first time he encountered Naruto when his older brother, Itachi, had told him to get lost in front of all of his peers and embarrassed him. No one in class wanted to talk to Sasuke. They all thought he would be some sort of nuisance since Itachi had been a popular figure within the school. Often, Sasuke would be teased about being annoying or gloomy in appearance. So, he had become a wallflower, and refused to trust others. Instead, he excelled in his classes and talents most. However, this time was lonely for Sasuke and he had never known the kindness of a friend, or family member, for that matter.

When Itachi had shoved Sasuke off to the side, telling him that he was a nuisance, Sasuke remembered watching his brother walk off into the distance. He felt tears welling up but he had promised himself that he would never allow Itachi's negligence to make him cry. So, he stuffed the feelings deep within himself as he stood and watched, telling himself that he needed no one to survive. As these lonely thoughts enveloped him he felt a warm hand grab his shoulder, and the noises of laughter filled his ears. He quickly turned to find Naruto grinning at him widely.

At that moment, the warmth of a supportive touch overcame Sasuke, and when Naruto grabbed his hand and pulled him, asking him to come and play with him, Sasuke would never forget that one moment in time. The one moment in time when Naruto was there...it gave him hope. Ever since then, Naruto and Sasuke had become the most inseparable of friends. Sure, over time, they had their rivalries and arguments. The two were both hot headed and competitive, as well as highly talented, and that was a platform for competition, but, no matter what transpired between them their friendship never died and, when Sasuke needed him most, Naruto was always there to support him.

"What are you so deep in thought about?" Naruto slurped the noodles into his mouth, eying Sasuke who hadn't touched his instant noodles yet.

Sasuke looked up at Naruto and cringed at the sight. Even though, deep down, Sasuke couldn't help but think that Naruto looked cute even with his mouth filled with noodles and soup splattered on his face.

"Just that I'm lucky."

"Really?" Naruto slammed his chopsticks on the table with more force than needed. "And why's that?"

"Oh, well," Sasuke began to blush, an occurrence that seemed to be a constant that evening. "Just because, well, I'm me."

"Please, Mr. Modesty."

"You're one to talk," Sasuke looked away from Naruto, not able to keep his gaze on him for too long. "But, really, I'm just grateful...for our friendship."

"Soft!" Naruto smirked. "You're getting soft on me! What's happening to you today, Uchiha?"

"Nothing!" Sasuke grabbed his chopsticks and threw them at Naruto's head. One of the chopsticks got stuck in his blonde mess of hair. A chuckle escaped Sasuke's lips before he reached over to grab the chopstick from Naruto's hair. As he did so, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's wrist and the two stared at each other.

Sasuke could feel his heart beat quickening, and he wondered if Naruto was able to feel his pulse as his thumb was right at that sensitive spot. Neither of them moved for a while, and the grins on their faces began to dissipate into something more serious. No matter how hard Sasuke tried he couldn't pull his gaze away from Naruto's intense cobalt eyes.

Was the space between them closing in? He wasn't sure. But he wished that this table wasn't situated right in between them. At the same time, he was grateful that the table was there, or else he wasn't sure what he would be doing right now.

"You know," Naruto whispered, still keeping his stare focused on Sasuke. He felt as if Naruto was looking right into him, as if he knew what it was that he was feeling. "My life got better when you moved in."

"And I'm grateful that you allowed me to live here with you."

"It was really," Naruto paused; his eyes looked away for a moment before connecting with his again. "My pleasure."

Again, the silence overtook them and Sasuke felt his heart pounding in his ears. He really hoped that Naruto couldn't feel that pulse. But he couldn't find the strength to move away just yet.

"I would do it again," Naruto pulled himself closer, over the table, towards Sasuke. Too close. "I would be there for you, again, always."

Sasuke slowly gulped back whatever it was that he wanted to say. He just wasn't sure what this moment was. It was intense, but he was still unsure.

"Thank you, Naruto," he breathed out the words, as if they were struggling to escape him. Right now, he was having difficulty breathing.

Naruto quickly let go of Sasuke's wrist, that same cocky smirk lifting his lips upwards, "Good luck with your audition tomorrow, I need some sleep."

Sasuke watched Naruto walk up the stairs. He hoped that Naruto couldn't see him holding on to his chest tightly as he attempted to catch his breath. He wasn't quite sure what had just transpired between them but it was beginning to drive him insane.

"Fuck," Sasuke sighed, slamming his forehead against the table. "What the fuck was that?"


	2. Frigid Kisses and Bloody Lips

**Chapter Two:** Frigid Kisses and Bloody Lips

Sasuke stared at himself in the mirror. He studied the black framed glasses placed upon his face, and his unruly dark hair. He went over the lines that he had spent tireless hours memorizing. There was no room for failure. He knew the part, he knew the character. There was no way anyone else would get this role but him. He sighed, staring down at the script once again. For years, he had been working for an opportunity like this, an opportunity that would make his mother proud like this. And he would show his brother Itachi that he could make it. That was his main focus, showing him that he had the ability to do what he had set out to do.

He continued to study his features, a handsome face, but despite his strength he appeared delicate to others. It was a trait that he had inherited from his mother. Sasuke was often told that by those that knew her, and when he looked at photographs of her, he knew that it was a true statement. His brother, on the other hand, had a more rugged appearance which allowed others to take him more seriously. Sasuke had to spend years showing others that he didn't need to be coddled like a woman. Despite his feminine features he was able to show others both his ability and masculinity.

Sasuke heard a knock on his bedroom door. He knew that the only one that it could be was Naruto so he didn't say anything, knowing that he would walk into the room anyways. Sasuke felt exhausted, there were so many things running around in his head that he couldn't catch enough mental silence to fall asleep for long. From the audition to the strange feelings that had been rising within him, his mind just couldn't find any peace.

He sighed, looking down at the script. In a way, he did feel just like the character that he was auditioning for; a sexually ambiguous teenage boy with a long term girlfriend who also happens to be in love with his male best friend. The character was dark, lonely, but somehow still popular with his peers due to his attractive image.

To him it was ironic that he was picked up for this role. He still had to audition but he was suggested for the part after getting the lead role in a short film.

"Are you ready to get going?"

Sasuke watched Naruto appear in the mirror, he felt himself flush as Naruto observed him.

"Checking yourself out?" Naruto grinned, stepping closer to him.

"No."

"Nervous?"

"Not ever."

"That's the way, your confidence is impeccable," Naruto plopped himself onto Sasuke's bed and sighed. "Your skill is incomparable."

"Come on," Sasuke sighed. He reached for the script and flipped through the pages. Scanning the lines once again.

"So, what scene are you going to use for the audition?"

Naruto laid his head against the pillow, brushing his fingers through his blonde hair. Sasuke watched him, his eyes wandering the contours of his body and the features of his face. He wasn't quite sure what it was that he felt for Naruto, but he didn't exactly want to explore the ideas either. It was best to keep things just like this. It was best not to complicate anything especially when it came to Naruto. The last thing he ever wanted was to lose his best friend.

"The scene where Seth admits that he might be in love with his best friend to his girlfriend."

"Okay. Do it," Naruto sat up in the bed, a large grin plastered on his face.

"What?"

"Perform it before we go, it'll be good practice."

"I don't need to do that," Sasuke groaned, putting the script back on the bed.

Naruto reached forward, grabbing Sasuke's arm and put on his best pouty face for him.

"Come on, how can you refuse me?"

"Fine," Sasuke sighed, turning away from Naruto. He pulled the lines from his memory banks, prepping to recite the scene. He turns slowly to Naruto, leaning in close to him. Naruto, in reaction to the closeness, inches away slightly, a light red tint emerging onto his cheeks.

"_Lately, I've been having strange thoughts,_ _and...well...feelings,_" Sasuke leaned in closer to Naruto, close enough that Naruto could feel the air coming from Sasuke's nostrils. The expression on his face softened as he placed one hand on the bed, next to Naruto's leg, closing the proximity of space between them. "_I'm still unsure of what might happen, and I thought for days about how I could tell him this, how I could...confess, but I think I might be in love with him. Don't get me wrong, Sara, I love you with all my heart. But, I think, I might...I think that there's something between him and I. I don't want to hurt you but I should be honest, right?"_

He continues to stare, his expression genuine, "_Right?_"

"Right," Naruto grins, pulling onto the collar of Sasuke's shirt. "You're in."

"I know," Sasuke smirks, as he pulls himself away from Naruto.

"So, school, and then your audition," Naruto begins to drum his fingers against the mattress. "Do you think we'll be ready for the show this weekend?"

"Yeah," Sasuke threw Naruto a confident, playful smile. "Only if you stop getting too excited when we play!"

"Shut up," Naruto groaned. "By the way, I was thinking, about that song you wrote. It was really good...there was a lot of emotion in that song, a lot more than whatever you and I have written before. I thought we could work on it."

"No," Sasuke said firmly, looking away from Naruto.

He couldn't handle performing that song. It was too personal, too close. And those emotions, those needed to remain within him. That song had to stay with him.

"I can't. You weren't even supposed to see that. It was just ramblings."

"But, Sasuke, it's really good. And I have a wicked melody to fit it."

"No, Naruto."

"Alright, fine, I can't force you," Naruto gets up from the bed and walks toward the door. "Let's go before we're late."

Sasuke grabbed his book bag and followed behind him. Ever since Sasuke moved into Naruto's house he had literally became Sasuke's chauffeur although, for the most part, Naruto didn't seem to mind. At times, Sasuke could tell that Naruto's girlfriend, Hinata, seemed to have some issues with it when he wasn't spending enough time with her but the girl was too meek to ever be able to speak up about the issue. Besides, Sasuke didn't care much. If she really had that much of a problem with it then she could say something about it.

"So, you're taking me to the audition after school?" Sasuke asked, getting into the passenger seat.

"We already agreed that I would do that for you."

"And you're going to pick me up?"

"Yes!" Naruto groaned, "I remember. I remember. Hinata and I are just going to go and have some dinner and maybe go for a walk. Then we'll come and pick you up."

"With Hinata?"

"Obviously," Naruto laughed, pulling out of the driveway. "Are you jealous?"

"Fuck no," Sasuke snorted, looking out of the window, his breath against the window caused a slight fog and Sasuke drew a sad face from it.

Naruto only responded with a laugh, as the two rolled down the street towards school.

...

"Sasuke!"

He looked up to find a pink haired girl running towards him, he sighed. As much as he appreciated Sakura's friendship, and how much they supported each other while trying to break into their acting careers, there were times when her obvious crush on him drained him of his energy. He felt Naruto elbow him in the ribs, a teasing smirk painting his face.

"And here comes your admirer."

"Shut up," he breathed under his breath, attempting to turn the other direction but she had already slid her arm around his.

"Are you ready for the audition today?" She grinned, pulling him down the hallway. Naruto followed behind them, not really saying anything. But Sasuke could feel his teasing energy surround him as he walked behind.

"Yes, Sakura, I've been ready for quite some time."

"Yeah, I'm really excited. A little nervous though. I'm glad I had you to practice with though, and it will be easier auditioning together."

"Right," Sasuke sighed.

"But," she stopped walking, tugging on Sasuke's arm to make him stop with her. She looked over at Naruto, her eyes gesturing him to leave them alone. He let out a quiet snicker and waved his hand, catching Sakura's hint.

Sasuke looked behind him at Naruto's back, anxiety falling over him. All he could think was, _Fuck_.

Sakura tilted her head, a sweet smile touched her lips, and she spoke sweetly, "So, I was thinking..."

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Well," she started fidgeting around. Sasuke could feel his patience dwindling. He knew what was coming, and he knew what he would say in response. "I was wondering if, after the audition, we could do something together."

Sasuke sighed, shook his head, and then placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder, "After the audition, I have to go home and catch up with studying. Between all of this acting stuff, the band, and school, I haven't had much time for much else."

"Right," she looked down at her feet. "What about another time then?"

"I don't know..."

"Please...?" Again, she tilted her head to the side, as if it were cute. And it was cute but, to Sasuke, he thought about how he had been compelled by so much more. Naruto flashed through his mind, and he could feel the pace of his heart quicken.

"Okay, fine," Sasuke sighed, feeling defeated. "How about you hang out with us after the show tomorrow and then maybe later we can do something?"

"Okay!" Sakura's grin widened, pulling away from him. "I'll see you later in English class."

"Yeah," Sasuke stared off down the hallway. Sometimes, he wasn't sure what to do when it came to things like this. He didn't date, and he often didn't feel emotionally connected to most. He was fond of Sakura, most definitely, as the three of them had been friends for years and grew up together. But his relationship with Sakura was entirely different from his relationship with Naruto.

"Yeah," Sasuke shook his head. "About that..."

...

Naruto stood around the entrance of the studio with Hinata. As they waited, she kept her pockets inside the pockets of his jacket to keep her hands warm. He remembered when that used to be cute. Lately, he had felt bogged down by her clinginess and reliance on him. He looked down at her, and she blushed. That too. He used to think that her timidity was cute but, now, he couldn't understand why she couldn't just open up to him yet.

"Naruto," her voice was quiet and reflected her shyness. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Naruto grinned, pulling her close into his arms. "I guess I'm a little nervous for him. I know he really wants this even though he's trying to act like it's nothing and easy."

She looked up and smiled, "But you know Sasuke is always like that. And he always comes out okay."

"You're right," Naruto kissed her forehead.

"Ahem," the two looked up to find Sasuke staring straight at them. There was a slight hint of irritation evident on his features of which worried Naruto as to how the audition actually went.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," even the way he spoke was ridden with irritation. "It went _great_."

"Okay," Naruto pulled away from Hinata, sensing the tension. "Then why so much attitude?"

"There's no attitude. None at all. They're going to review all of the information and Sakura and I should get phone calls in the next few days letting us know if we got the parts or not."

"Here's hoping."

"I did fine," Sasuke mumbled, pushing between the couple. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll walk home."

"What? Isn't it a little cold?"

"I've dealt with colder," Sasuke kept walking, and then waved his hand to gesture for them to leave him alone. "I'll leave the two of you alone."

Naruto stared in awe, not really sure what was going on. When Naruto looked down at Hinata he could see that she was equally as confused. Naruto shrugged his shoulders and wrapped his arm around her.

"Not sure what's bugging him."

She looked up and grabbed on to the side of his coat, "Perhaps you should go after him and find out what's going on."

"But what about you?"

"I can take the bus. Don't worry about me."

"Uh," Naruto looked back at Sasuke's back and then looked down at Hinata. "Are you sure?"

"I know you want to go after him, and it's the right thing to do."

"Yeah."

"Go on," she smiled. "I'll be fine."

Naruto kissed her forehead once again and pulled her into a tight hug, "And this is why you're my girlfriend. You're the sweetest thing."

Naruto then pulled away from Hinata and began walking in the direction that Sasuke had headed towards. He turned around and waved, "Let me know when you get home, okay?"

She only nodded in response, waving back at him. He knew that leaving his girlfriend in the cold to get home on her own wasn't the most chivalrous thing to do but he was really curious about Sasuke. He hadn't seen Sasuke that frustrated in quite some time, and he couldn't just go off and do his own thing knowing that something could be wrong with him.

...

Sasuke walked down the side walk, pulling his arms tightly around him in order to keep warm. He didn't know why he was suddenly so upset seeing Naruto and Hinata so close. The two had been dating for so long, there really wasn't any reason for him to be reacting in such a way when watching them. He's even walked into them practically having sex. Why now? And why so suddenly?

The audition went well. In fact, Sasuke was sure that he was getting the part. There was no denying that and he was excited, even happy to walk out of the studio to tell Naruto the news. Thing is, as soon as he walked outside and saw Naruto kiss Hinata on the forehead he felt this furious feeling welling up inside of him. And the fact that he was feeling that only made him even more frustrated and angry.

_Am I in love with...Naruto...?_

He shook his head, and started pulling his hair in frustration. That was ridiculous. He was just confused by the friendship and his feelings especially after last night. Naruto was like a brother, after all...

_Right...?_

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke looked back while still walking ahead of him. Without realizing where he was going, his face slammed right into the glass of a bus stop that he had no clue was there.

"God damn it," he groaned, covering his lip.

"Are you okay?" Naruto gasped, and ran towards him. He pulled Sasuke's hand from his lip and noticed the crimson colour that stained his fair lips. "You're bleeding!"

Naruto pulled out a clean handkerchief from his pocket and started dabbing Sasuke's face. In response, Sasuke slapped Naruto's hand away.

"I don't need you to coddle me!" Sasuke groaned, wiping the blood with the sleeve of his jacket.

"I know," Naruto looked down at his feet. "Sorry, I just got worried."

"Why do you treat me like this?" Sasuke stepped back, his back pressing against the glass of the bus stop.

"Like what, Sasuke?"

"Like I'm your girlfriend or something. Do you think I'm weak? Do you think I can't take care of myself?"

"No, it's not that at all," Naruto stepped forward and took Sasuke's hand, placing the handkerchief there, and stepped back. "I know that you're strong and that you can take care of yourself. It's just...my natural reaction, sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel like that."

"Its fine," Sasuke sighed as he placed the handkerchief on his lip. The whiff of Naruto's scent drifted into his nostrils and he felt himself warm up with pleasure and comfort. "I've just been confused lately."

"Confused," Naruto tilted his head to the side. The adorable gesture caused a slight tint to reach Sasuke's cheeks and he had to look away.

He remembered Sakura making the same cute gesture, and how little it affected him. He coughed nervously, the confusion raging more so within him.

"Yeah," Sasuke pulled away from the bus shelter, closer towards Naruto. "I think that, lately, I've been...falling for a friend of mine. Someone really close to me and it's just been putting me on edge."

Sasuke felt his body automatically inching closer to Naruto, closing the space between them, "And I'm afraid to tell them how I feel. I don't...usually do things like that. It's all new to me and I'm not sure how I should tell them."

It looked as if a light bulb flashed in Naruto's head, and Sasuke chuckled at the cuteness of the facial expression.

"I know what this is about," Naruto grinned widely as he placed a supportive hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Do you?"

"Yeah! For sure! I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner! It's so obvious."

"It is?"

"Duh," Naruto laughed, his arm falling to his side. "You're in love with Sakura!"

Sasuke looked down at his feet, his hand falling from his bloody lip, "Right."

"Don't worry," Naruto threw his arm around Sasuke's shoulder. "She obviously likes you. You have nothing to worry about."

"Yeah," Sasuke and Naruto began walking back in the direction of the car. As Sasuke stared at Naruto, his smile large and bright, he knew that he had to push down whatever it was that was beginning to rise within him. He knew that his desires could never, ever happen. And the fact that he was feeling it all in the first place was just wrong.


End file.
